Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, IBN Network, has been unanimously been elected as President of Editors’ Guild of India. Sardesai is the first ever TV editor to be elected to this post and he takes over from Alok Mehta, Editor, Naidunia Delhi.

After the election Rajdeep revealed his agenda as the Guild President, and said, “I have a five-point agenda to develop synergy amongst print, television and the Internet.”

Finally that is official. Star Group and Asianet is joining togther to own its entertainment channels. Till now there were rumours in the media circles. In Kerala Communist Marxist party was writing articles against the deal in its Newspaper Deshabhimani [Great Joke].

Star and Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s Jupiter formed a company for this with the name ‘Star Jupiter Entertainment Television Ltd’ (Star Jupiter).

TRAI is planning to bar political and religious bodies from entering public broad casting. But I do not understand how it is going to help. If a political party or a religious organisation is forming a company with their good friends in it and enter into broadcasting business what TRAI can do?

Are they going to intervene in the functioning of Malayalam Communications Ltd. [which owns Kairali, Malayalam Television Channel]. Are they going to intervene in the functioning of Jaihind Malayalam channel in which Congress Kerala Unit is planning to increase its investment.?

Rumours are around that 9X media’s three channel properties have been sold to two parties. NewsX to Bhaskar Group and other two entertainment channels 9X and 9XM to Balaji Telefilms. Market talk is that the founders of INX media Indrani mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea [ former chief of Star] will be leaving the company. This new development if because of dearth of funds during this economic slowdown.

Balaji Telefilms was interested in starting pan Indian entertainment channels and regional channels for a while now. Is it true? With in days we will be knowing that. INX Group is having two companies, INX Media and INX News.

June 29 2007: Radio Indigo, the FM venture of Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s Jupiter Capital, kicked off in Goa after launching its first station in Bangalore in September 2006. Radio Indigo is the only FM station in the country solely dedicated to playing international music round the clock, defying the admonition of marketers and media buyers.

Like Bangalore, the Goa station will also target the upwardly mobile, globally exposed, open minded upmarket listeners.

Speaking about the launch, Sanjay Prabhu – Director and Chief Operating Officer, Radio Indigo, said, “Goa has an inherited international music legacy. Radio Indigo will nurture that love for International music.”

New Delhi, May 3: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today criticised themedia for indulging in ”human trafficking” by repeatedly showing the Shilp Shetty-Richard Gere episodeand said that a Comprehensive Broadcasting Regulatory Bill would be brought in the next session ofParliament.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on ‘Gender Equality in Indian Media’ organised by theMinistry of Women and Child Development to mark the World Press Freedom Day, Mr Dasmunsi said theComprehensive Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill has already been prepared by his ministry and isnow being sent for inter-ministerial debate by the end of this session. So, the bill may come before theParliament in the next session, he informed.